Plane passenger dies at Birmingham airport

Feb 13 2011 by Adam Aspinall, Sunday Mercury

A PLANE passenger died after collapsing yesterday at Birmingham International Airport – where a paramedic service was axed last year.

Sources say that the man, in his 20s, was initially refused on to a flight because staff thought he was drunk.

But it later emerged that he was actually suffering from a serious illness and died shortly after collapsing at the gate in Terminal 2.

The man, who has not been identified, was treated at the scene by a staff member trained in first aid at around 7am yesterday. It is understood he died after off-site West Midlands Ambulance paramedics rushed him to Solihull hospital. Birmingham airport came under fire last year for axing its own 24-hour paramedic service in a controversial cost-cutting move.

Bosses decided to scrap their contract with West Midlands Ambulance Service, and instead trained their own staff in first aid.

The controversial move is believed to have saved £200,000 a year, but sparked safety fears from concerned employees.

One staff member, who was at the scene, said yesterday: “Staff at the gate thought he was drunk but it turned out he was simply showing signs of being very unwell with liver failure. They refused to allow him on the plane but he collapsed at the gate entrance, then a staff member trained in first aid got to him as soon as they could, but it wasn’t enough.

“Staff in the airport are very angry about this because it seems like what we have been warning about for months has come true.